Nene Considered Retirement Due to Plantar Fasciitis

Washington Wizards big man Nene says the pain in his left foot got so severe this season, he contemplated retiring from the game. Nene will not play in the Wizards’ final two games. Per the WaPo: “Over the course of another grueling campaign, the Washington Wizards veteran’s nightly recovery routine gradually increased from resting one foot in a bucket of ice to soaking both feet, to covering both knees with ice packs and adding a wrap to cover his sore right shoulder. Tired of maintaining a mummified look as plantar fasciitis in his left foot never fully healed and as soreness in his right knee worsened, Nene has decided to sit out the Wizards’ final two games, Monday in Brooklyn and Wednesday in Chicago. For Nene, making it through 61 games was no small feat after being tested physically and mentally in his 11th season. ‘How tough? Tough enough to think about the end of my career? Yeah, that’s how tough it was,’ he said. ‘It was so hard to play the way I did it. I thought to end my career because it’s so painful, my body can’t support. I’m glad I finished the season, but the way I suffer, I hope, never again.’ Nene, who is owed $39 million for the next three seasons, said conversations with his wife, Lauren, and business manager, Alex Santos, persuaded him to keep going. The 6-foot-11 Brazilian said he remains motivated to play because of faith in God and his young son, Mateos, but that he needs to rest and focus on being healthy for next season. ‘To play through pain, that’s not necessary,’ said Nene, 30, who will have an injection in his right knee to relieve some of his agony. ‘For what? I’m going to sit down. Let the young guys play. They need the work.'”